Demon Princess - Kyou Kara Maoh Adventure

Chapter 14 - Complications

Gwendal pov:

I watched as the princess walked away from us without sparing me a glance. She had been ignoring me the whole of today, taking detours to avoid running into me in the hallways and not even meeting my gaze when we were together. The only time she did look at me and talk to me was when she was trying to stop me from hurting Hube.

Clenching my fists, I strutted down the hallways after we dispersed, restless and unable to be at ease because of the princess. I came to a stop in front of her door and hesitated to enter.

I had been so stressed over Hube's return, and worried about what trouble he would cause, and it had added to the frustration I was feeling because His Majesty and the princess wished to forgive him. the princess had come to speak to me, to reason with me so I would change my mind and agree to forgiving Hube at least for the sake of Nicola and her child and I had been unable to restrain from yelling at her. I knew that she only meant well and that it was wrong of me to have yelled at her but the damage was done and I was paying the price for it now.

I clearly remembered the words I had said to her, questioning her about her right to intervene in the matter of Hube. She had apologized after that, her tone so soft that I had missed part of what she had said, and she had left my study soon after. Conrad had come in to talk to me barely a few minutes after the princess had left. He had told me that I had been unnecessarily harsh on the princess and that she had left my study crying.

Hearing that had left me feeling immensely guilty and remorseful. I had assumed that the princess would be angry at me but I hadn't thought she would be so hurt as to avoid talking to me. It felt...terrible to be ignored and I wanted to apologize to her right now so she would stop being distant to me. I cared for her and wished for her company and her avoidance was agonizing.

I inhaled deeply and knocked on the doors of her room. I got no response even after several minutes so I took the liberty to let myself in. when my eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, I spotted her sleeping on the bed, curled up under the blankets and hugging the bear bee plush I had given to her several weeks ago. I cleared my throat, embarrassed all of a sudden, but shut the door and walked to the bed.

Her breathing was slow and deep and I couldn't bring myself to wake her just because I wanted to apologize. I'm sure that I would get the chance to talk to her tomorrow so I took this moment to watch her with an odd tightness in my chest. I glanced at the bandages she had wrapped on her arm that were stained with blood. I felt momentarily angry at Hube again but composed myself quickly.

I sat down on the bed next to her slowly and reached for her arm. I removed the soiled bandages and wrapped the wound with my handkerchief. She furrowed her brows and groaned at that and I tensed, worried that I had woken her. But she merely shifted, moaning softly again as a few tears fell from her eyes.

I clenched my jaw feeling trouble again. I stood though and frowned deeper. Perhaps she had been avoiding me because I had yelled at her and hurt her feelings but what I had said wasn't wrong. She didn't know anything about the Great Demon Kingdom so she couldn't know what was best for the country. There was no reason for her to be so upset about the truth.

But...why couldn't I stop feeling so angry for upsetting her? Why was I so unsettled by her avoidance? What if she stopped talking to me altogether?

I sighed deeply, seeing no way out of this besides apologizing to her. I was at fault for yelling at her, I suppose, all the more considering the fact that she's the princess. But how was I supposed to apologize? It would be so awkward.

I would have to come up with a way to apologize tomorrow. Still feeling troubled, I gave one last glance at the princess and walked out of her room.